


Why aren't you afraid of me

by lasersheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Post Season 6, Pre-Relationship, because the stupid readmore wasn't work for anon :(, tumblr drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 04:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15088838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasersheith/pseuds/lasersheith
Summary: From the prompt: "Why aren't you afraid of me" on tumblr





	Why aren't you afraid of me

**Author's Note:**

> there might be more to this story but I'm not sure, posting it here by request

Not going back to Earth had been the hardest decision Matt had ever had to make. There was just too much to do here, the rebels needed him too much and he needed to be doing something. With Lotor and Haggar in the wind and Sendak’s forces growing everyday, the universe was in a more tumultuous state than it had ever been before. The controls at his hands were mostly for show, he was no pilot and the automatic guidance system had been engaged since takeoff, but he gripped them tightly anyway as he came across a field of debris.

Sincline.

Matt grimaced and scanned for signs of life. He’d gotten the gist of the battle when he spoke to Pidge. The scanner blipped green in the middle of one of the ships. _I could just leave him here, let him die_. Matt thought to himself.  _No one would know, it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it._

He disengaged the autopilot and slowly brought the ship around. The Sincline ships were damaged almost beyond repair and crackling with quintessence at random intervals. Lotor’s unconscious body drifted in the cockpit, his helmet was gone and the warning lights were all flashing on his console; Matt couldn’t tell if it was just a reflection or if he was covered in blood. He swore under his breath and engaged his inertial dampener while he grabbed the spare flight suit.

Matt double and triple checked his harness before opening the airlock, spare suit clipped to his belt in a messy roll. The air rushing out of the small compartment pulled him forward as the pressure equalized and he took a noisy, unsteady breath. He’d never get used to how quiet everything was out here and how loud every sound he made felt in comparison.

He activated the jets on his boots and gently glided over to Lotor’s ship, making sure his momentum wasn’t going to send it careening off where he couldn’t follow. He’d already had to take far too many lives, failed to save too many people. Even if Lotor didn’t deserve it, it was the right thing to do and Matt knew it.

The tricky part was getting into the ship without accidentally spacing the unconscious man floating inside. It took expert timing, skill, and (Matt wasn’t too proud to admit) a hell of a lot of luck, but he managed to grab Lotor’s leg and pull him clear as the cockpit slid closed again. He shook his head as he looked around for Lotor’s helmet. The cabin was filling back up with air but he wouldn’t last a trip through the black back to Matt’s ship without it.

He gave up after a minute, the shocks of quintessence around him making him jumpy and desperate to get out of there as soon as possible. Matt strapped Lotor into the pilot’s chair and stuffed his hair into the back of his suit. Lotor’s head was bleeding but it didn’t look life-threatening like Matt knew their current position was, so he put the spare helmet on Lotor’s head and sealed it to the mismatched suit with tape. Thankfully the rest of Lotor’s suit looked like it was still space-worthy, Matt realized too late that Lotor was far too tall for the spare he’d brought.

Matt tied their belts together with the spare suit and hit the release on his harness, the added weight of Lotor free floating next to him pulling him more than he’d thought it would. He took a few more steadying breaths, regretting that his mother had raised him to be a good person, and grabbed on tight before he opened the hatch again.

It was terrifying every time, but floating along the tether was especially scary considering Matt had a homicidal maniac strapped to his waist and no idea what to expect when Lotor woke up. That was a problem for future-Matt, he decided, pulling them both into the airlock again and shutting the door. As soon as the artificial gravity kicked in, Matt swore again.

Lotor was heavy. 

It should have been obvious since he was  _huge_  but it took Matt by surprise as he dragged the unconscious man to the cockpit. He was panting and sweating in his flight suit by the time he’d untethered them and clipped Lotor in.

Matt quickly engaged the autopilot to a nearby habitable planet and dug his medkit out. He pulled Lotor’s helmet off and shook his head, grimacing. The helmet was done for, it was covered in dark purple blood that would tag ages to scrub clean. It wasn’t worth it.

Some of the hair had come free from the back of Lotor’s suit and Matt pulled the rest of it out, bunching it up and slinging it over Lotor’s shoulder so it would be out of the way while Matt cleaned and stitched the wound on his forehead. He placed a bandage over it just as the warning beacon for entering the atmosphere flared. Matt took his seat and buckled in, preparing for landing.

..

Lotor woke up coughing, his head stung and his throat burned. He blinked a few times, looking around in confusion. Matt helped him sit up and handed him a canteen of water. Lotor brought his hand to the bandage at his head and winced. “Don’t touch that, I’m not very good at stitches.” Matt groused at him from the rock he was sitting on across from the makeshift cot, arms crossed over his chest. “You lost a lot of blood, you’re probably really dehydrated. Make sure you finish that canteen.”

Lotor licked his dry lips and took another sip. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” He asked tentatively, voice still rough.

Matt raised an eyebrow. “You’re not exactly scary right now.” He said with an eyeroll. “Plus, I’m very genre-aware. I put a tracker in you, and this,” Matt slid his shirt up his forearm and held out his bandaged left arm, “is a dead man’s switch. My heart stops and Voltron knows exactly where you are.” He rolled his sleeve back down. “I wouldn’t put it past you to dig a beacon out of your own spine, but you won’t be strong enough to even try for at least a little while.” Matt kicked at the dirt on the cave floor, lost in thought. “I think the real question is, why aren’t  _you_  scared of  _me_?”

Lotor reached between his shoulder blades and sighed as he felt the bandage there. “Why are you helping me?” He asked, voice coming out in an exhausted whisper.

Matt shrugged. “I couldn’t just leave you to die.” It sounded simple, but it was anything but. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

The canteen dropped to the cot as Lotor finished it, his eyes drooping. “Thank you.” He murmured, sliding down onto the cot as well, eyes already closed.

Matt sighed and stood. He grabbed the canteen and set it with his emergency supplies before going back to the cot. He brushed some of the hair away from Lotor’s face and frowned again. _It’s always the pretty ones_. He mused as he walked away, setting up his own cot for the night. He’d have to call in and let his unit know he wasn’t going to make it to the rendezvous when he woke up, but he still had no idea what he was going to tell them. 


End file.
